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Senior One of 28 Accepted to Conducting Symposium
Derek Shell
Department: Music
Major: Music Education
Class: 2013
Music education major Derek Shell ’13 was one of 28 music education students nationwide to be accepted as a conducting fellow for the “The Art of Wind Band Teaching Symposium” at the University of Minnesota, July 22-25.

“I was completely overwhelmed with excitement when I discovered that I was accepted,” Derek said. “I am so fortunate that the opportunity was presented to me when it was.”

Sponsored by the University of Minnesota School of Music, the symposium is a week devoted to personal and professional growth where participants join nationally recognized artists, master teachers and music educators from across the country for workshops, discussions and rehearsals. The symposium focuses on issues that confront music educators at all levels: choice of appropriate repertoire, effective rehearsal and conducting techniques, instrumental pedagogy, the role of technology in music education, advocacy for music education and more.

Derek said Dr. Margaret Underwood, assistant professor of music, gave him the information to apply and encouraged him throughout the process.

“I wanted to attend this symposium because it presented a tremendous opportunity for me to grow not only as a musician, but personally as well,” he said. “I am looking forward to working with all of the wonderful faculty, guest artists and students at the symposium.

An important component of the symposium is the series of rehearsals for participants, and Derek said he is excited to play in the symposium’s wind band. “One of the wonderful things about music is that, even if you are playing with a room full of strangers, it generates a sense of unity. We are all coming together to create a pure, aesthetic experience that’s beauty is scarcely rivaled by any other feeling,” he said.

Derek said he hopes to come out of the symposium a better musician with new friendships. “This opportunity could really not have come at a better time. I student teach during spring semester, so I am really looking forward to applying everything I learn from this experience,” he said. “In music, we can learn so much from observing and talking with our peers. In my years at Otterbein, the faculty has been wonderful, but my peers have been excellent teachers as well.”

Click here to learn more about Music at Otterbein.